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Laurence Edmondson, F1 Editor
On the eve of his 200th Formula One race, Max Verstappen has ruled out competing in 200 more, saying he is already more than halfway through his career.
The 26-year-old has previously made clear he does not expect to race into his 40s like rivals Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, but his Red Bull contract runs through 2028.
This weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix will be his 200th F1 race since making his debut in 2015 with Red Bull’s junior team, then called Toro Rosso.
Asked if he would compete in 200 more, Verstappen said: “No. That’s an easy answer.
“So we have passed halfway [in my career], for sure. It’s been an incredible ride.
“It doesn’t feel like 200, but we do a lot of races now in a year, so you add them quite quickly.”
Verstappen is chasing his fourth consecutive title this year and has a 78-point lead in the drivers’ championship over McLaren driver Lando Norris with 10 races remaining.
He signed his existing contract with Red Bull in early 2022 after securing his first title in 2021, and agreed to stay with Red Bull for a further seven years until the end of 2028.
On the basis that he won’t compete in another 200 races, Verstappen was asked if it was his intention to retire when his deal expires, by which point he is likely to have competed in over 300 races.
“2028 is so very far away, in my mind I am not thinking about a new contract at the moment I just want to see how it goes,” he added. “Also to see about the new regulations, if it is fun or not then in 2026 or 27 there is a lot of time to decide what happens so I just keep everything open. I am quite easy going about it.”
On the basis that F1 calendar stands at 24 races long in 2024, if Verstappen sticks to his pledge to leave F1 before he hits 400 races, he would likely retire in the next eight years and before he reaches the age of 35.
Source: www.espn.com